In the KAZUKIN household's living room, for more than 20 years now,
the ONKYO INTEC205 FX series still sits enthroned.
I wanted to watch movies with big impact.
With that thought, I casually dropped by an electronics store.
My doom was a staff member saying, “Would you like to listen for a bit?”
...
“I'll take it.”
A complete impulse buy (lol).
The power of 6.1ch surround
This series, besides the AV receiver, has
front speakers.
A center speaker.
Rear speakers.
And a subwoofer.
Set up as 6.1ch surround, the impact is overwhelming.
When a movie starts,
a helicopter flies in from behind.
A car rushes past at the side.
Explosions go thud from the floor.
Raise the volume to a level that doesn't bother the neighbors, and
every time I think, “Isn't this a movie theater?”
...No, it was the living room (lol).
Sports broadcasts are the best too
And it's still active.
The World Cup.
The Nations League.
Sports broadcasts are the best too.
Stadium cheers envelop the whole room,
and when a goal is scored, KAZUKIN shouts before the commentator.
Beside me, my family says,
“Too loud.”
An entirely normal reaction (lol).
Before I knew it, I'm an audio lover
Of course it can't compete with super high-end audio.
But while writing this article,
I belatedly realize the fact: “Wait, don't I actually really like audio?”
Watches.
Bags.
AI.
Stocks.
And audio.
With every hobby that increases, my wallet gets lighter
and only my room gets more fulfilled.
The INTEC275 I agonized over until the end
Come to think of it, I remembered the time I bought it.
In fact, there was a model I agonized over until the end.
The ONKYO INTEC275.
That was a shock too.
The FX series is 6.1ch.
Six speakers, plus a woofer.
The 275, by contrast, is stereo.
Just two.
Normally you'd think,
“Six speakers must sound amazing.”
But when I auditioned it...
“Huh... isn't the 275's sound too good?”
Vocals.
Guitar.
Piano.
The music just feels good.
Maybe it's natural since the speaker sizes differ, but to the KAZUKIN of the time it was incomprehensible.
“This one has six, so why does the two-speaker one feel better?”
My head was a complete question mark (lol).
After many laps around the store
How many laps of the store did I do?
Go to the 275.
Back to the FX series.
The 275 again.
A total suspicious person.
The staff must have thought,
“This person is still undecided.” (lol)
Even so, what finally decided it was
the immersion of movies.
Explosions.
Gunshots.
Stadium cheers.
Sounds flying in from behind.
“Yes, movies are surround after all.”
Thinking that, I chose the FX series.
Even looking back now, I have no regrets about this choice.
If only listening to music, the 275.
If enjoying movies and live footage with your whole body, the FX series.
I think both were masterpieces.
Summary
And even now, over 20 years later,
the INTEC205 FX series is playing in the living room today.
...
Next to it, KAZUKIN watches a movie and
falls asleep thirty minutes in.
6.1ch surround snoring has quite an impact (lol).
By the way, it seems the maker ONKYO went bankrupt a few years ago. Rest assured, I luckily held no position.
KAZUKIN Rating
- 🎬 Cinematic immersion — ★★★★★
- ⚽ Impact of sports broadcasts — ★★★★★
- 🕰️ Durability (20+ years active) — ★★★★★
- 💤 KAZUKIN's finishing rate — ★★☆☆☆ (asleep thirty minutes in)
- 📈 Affinity as a contrarian investor — ★★★☆☆ (unscathed with no position)
ONKYOいいよね
“Good sound is the BGM of life. ...Whether snoring counts as BGM, I'll think about another time.”
This article is a personal opinion and record of use. KAZUKIN LAB has no relationship with ONKYO. I'm just an ONKYO-loving customer. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Conversations in this article are based on memory and may differ in detail from what was actually said.
The illustration is an image based on KAZUKIN's experience. It may differ from real stores and products. It is not an official manufacturer image.